Yamina Bouchamma

Professional development of supervisors through professional learning communities

This article presents the results of a study involving members of a community of practice composed of school principals and vice-principals and department heads who became responsible for faculty evaluations following the implementation of the Program Evaluation of Teachers (NBDE, 1999). Nine CP meetings were examined to gain insight on how this setting enabled these teaching supervisors to collectively train and enhance their practice, specifically with regard to their new role and the proposed program. Our analysis was based on Wenger’s social theory of learning, with particular emphasis on teaching practices (learning by doing). Results shed light on (1) the structural challenges impeding the program’s implementation and (2) the inherent aspects of its integration and proposed solutions to facilitate change in supervisory practices. Two themes emerged during the study: participation or the construction of meaning (various evaluation concepts) and reification (various concepts in terms of tools or practices).

Leadership Practices in Effective Schools in Disadvantaged Areas of Canada

Purpose. The purpose of this paper was to examine leadership practices in effective schools located in economically disadvantaged areas of three Canadian provinces: Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Research Design. Our study was conducted in five successful schools selected on the basis of student outcomes on province-wide standardized exams, as well as on some risk factors such as rural area, low socioeconomic level, and proportion of Francophones (Ontario and New Brunswick). To increase the study’s validity, we used triangulation and various data sources: (1) individual interviews; (2) observation of school principals; (3) field documentation; (4) student essays; (5) internal school documents such as mission statement, rules, and directives. Participants. Participants included Department of Education heads and school board administrators, school principals and vice principals, teachers, school counsellors, educational psychologists, parent school board members, and students. Findings. Results show that leadership practices in effective schools can be grouped together around five dimensions: establishing goals and expectations; strategic resourcing; curriculum planning, coordination, and evaluation; promoting and participating in teacher supervision and development; ensuring order and support.

Impact of Reading Strategy Use on Girls' and Boys' Achievement.

We examined the reading strategies of boys and girls and identified those determining academic achievement in 13-year-old Canadian students. Students from each province and one territory (N = 20,094) answered a questionnaire on, among others, reading strategies. T-test results showed that girls use these strategies more regularly compared to boys. Logistical regression indicated that the same strategies determined reading achievement in both groups, namely, making connections with past knowledge, looking at other words in the sentence to grasp the meaning, rereading the more difficult parts, and adapting reading speed.

Education using Face-to-Face and Remote Approaches within a Linguistically Minority Environment

Linguistic minorities are confronted with particular pressures making it difficult to preserve and learn their language as well as their culture. Among these pressures, we may list the geographical scattering of minorities and the lack of necessary human and material resources to ensure this learning as well as to form educative staff and future assistance that will be needed. Remote education could present itself as an alternative if it shows performances as good as those of face-to-face education in terms of efficiency and formation quality. The present work deals with an experience using face-to-face and distant learning. Two courses offered by University de Moncton (Educ6122 and Educ6013) for French-speaking minorities in New Brunswick are considered. Our objective is not to favor the local student over the distant student. In addition to our approach and our achievements a statistical study of satisfaction will be presented.